Asked how the winger looked in his second day on the ice with the full team, Hedberg said: "He's not very good."

Then he laughed.

"No, he looks great," Hedberg said. "He's been working on his shot for six months."

Not quite that long, but Parise said he needs only a couple of practices to be ready for games. Although he wouldn't come out and say it, the target date is at home Wednesday night against the Islanders.

"I think a couple more practices will do it," Parise said with a smile.

"No, he's not playing tomorrow," Lemaire said. "After this road trip we'll have a couple of days practice and see where he is."

Even Parise admitted it would be a stretch to ask him to play in Buffalo.

"I don't think tomorrow (is realistic). Especially after a skate like that (today)," he said. "They wore Mark (Fraser) and I out pretty good. I think after a couple more practices feeling good, like yesterday and today, the next step is playing games.

"There was a little contact with Mark Fraser at the end. He was roughing me up a little bit in the corners."

Parise said he appreciates the level of skill even more since he's been sidelined for five months. He last played on Oct. 30 in Los Angeles and underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on Nov. 2.

"You forget how tough it really is, how quick the players are and how talented they are," Parise said. "You come back after being off for so long and they're making things look easy. It's a little bit of a struggle for me at first. I think you do forget how good the players are.

"It's been since October, so... It went by really slow. It was a long time off. You come back and these guys are in great condition and they're all sharp."

"I'm closer than yesterday, I think," Parise said. "It was another good skate. I still need those practices with contact. I think that's our next step. Keep doing that and I should be ready.

"I think my puck-handling needs timing. My puck-handling needs to come long making quicker decisions. That's something that just comes with practicing. When you don't do it for so long, you just have to get the timing back. I'm working on it."

But he still impresses.

"I'm impressed that he's looking this good so early," Hedberg said. "He's so quick on the puck. The instincts are there. He's been out almost five months.

"I don't think it's going to be too far off (for his return) if I get to decide."

Parise, Lemaire and GM Lou Lamoriello will make the ultimate decision, which looks like Wednesday night. I asked him if he saw a difference in one day.

"No. I thought he was skating well yesterday," Lemaire said. "Same thing today. It's just a matter of time for him to get back in the lineup."

Lemaire said it was good to have Parise on the trip, but ...

"It's good to have him around," the coach said, "but he's not around just for that. He's around because he's going to play soon."

* * *

The Devils have signed defenseman Mike Banwell, 23, to an amateur tryout contract with Albany (AHL).

An undrafted free agent, Banwell completed a four-year career at the University of Maine (Hockey East).

He played in 109 games and scored18 points with five goals and 13 assists. The 6-2, 195-lbs., left-handed shooting defenseman played 32 games this past season, totaling three assists and 56 penalty minutes. He was named a Maine Scholar-Athlete Award winner.

Prior to his collegiate career, Banwell played four seasons for Pickering of the OPJHL. He posted 55 points with 17 goals and 38 assists. During the 2006-07 season, he had career-high marks for points (26), goals (7) and assists (19). He was named the team’s top defenseman that year.

Banwell is from Scarborough, Ont.

* * *

Lemaire on the Devils' situation: Nine points out with nine games to play: "We knew how tough it was when we came as close as six points. We still felt the hill was high to climb. Now we're at nine and we're running out of games. So it's going to be tough. I don't think we will eb able to do it on our own. I think we'll need a lot of help."

The Penguins have impressed Lemaire.

"I think that team does a good job getting all the guys to play hard. Because when you do lose three of your top players (Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Brooks Orpik), there are not a lot of teams that can keep going and winning," he said. "This team is an exception. They're doing it because the whole team is working hard and working together."